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Kindle without Amazon?

confused of chalus

By confused of chalus
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Quillan Newbie

Quillan

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I have been looking to buy a reader for my wife. During my research I discovered that there are many different electronic book formats. The biggest no, no, for me is that Amazon uses a particular format which can be read on just about anything (PC, Android tablet or IPad) but you can't read other formats on a Kindle. I am therefore looking at getting her an Android tablet, cheaper than an Ipad, just as good but still expensive compared to Amazon offerings. Mind you there are loads of Amazon offerings out there for free that you can download as torrents. I am stil deciding at the moment exactly what to buy her, I need to get out this week and have a play with a few.

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DerekJ Newbie

DerekJ

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[quote user="Quillan"]

I have been looking to buy a reader for my wife. During my research I discovered that there are many different electronic book formats. The biggest no, no, for me is that Amazon uses a particular format which can be read on just about anything (PC, Android tablet or IPad) but you can't read other formats on a Kindle. I am therefore looking at getting her an Android tablet, cheaper than an Ipad, just as good but still expensive compared to Amazon offerings. Mind you there are loads of Amazon offerings out there for free that you can download as torrents. I am stil deciding at the moment exactly what to buy her, I need to get out this week and have a play with a few.

[/quote] You may find that Calibre is your friend. http://calibre-ebook.com/
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Clair Newbie

Clair

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[quote user="confused of chalus"]I read a lot. Four or five books a week. Almost all, these days, are free titles from Amazon's free best seller list. The quality is variable, but its ok with me. It's also very easy.

So, should I decide I want to boycott Amazon, where should I look for varied source of free books?

Kathy[/quote]

Have you looked at Smashwords?

There's also weighlessbooks.com (search by lowest price).

For free books in French, there's http://www.ebooksgratuits.com/

I subscribe to several lists for Amazon free books and I get daily updates in Google reader. It saves me from having to search for them myself.

If you decide to use them, do make sure the ebook you're interested in is free in your own Amazon country before downloading...

http://www.freebooksy.com/

http://www.bookbub.com/home/index.php

http://www.pixelofink.com/subscribe/

http://efreebooks.org/faqs/

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Clair Newbie

Clair

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[quote user="Quillan"]Wow Derek it certainly could be. So basically I

can translate the format of any book to make it run on a Kindle, is that

correct?[/quote]

Provided there's no DRM on the original format, you can convert from just about any format to any format.

Like DerekJ, I use Calibre a lot.

I have around 5000 ebooks in various formats in my Calibre library, which I can also access from my iPad, provided I leave the laptop on, and allow it to work as a server.

Try it, you'll never look back!

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Frederick Newbie

Frederick

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[quote user="Quillan"]

I have been looking to buy a reader for my wife. During my research I discovered that there are many different electronic book formats. The biggest no, no, for me is that Amazon uses a particular format which can be read on just about anything (PC, Android tablet or IPad) but you can't read other formats on a Kindle. I am therefore looking at getting her an Android tablet, cheaper than an Ipad, just as good but still expensive compared to Amazon offerings. Mind you there are loads of Amazon offerings out there for free that you can download as torrents. I am stil deciding at the moment exactly what to buy her, I need to get out this week and have a play with a few.

[/quote]

  Q.... I use an ONDA Vi30 duel core 8inch  android tablet ...with 16gb micro sd card . ondatablets,com . They may be available elswhere .  I use it for Kindle books  and I download the papers every day  It seems to do everything my wifes Ipad2 does and the build quality seems as good ... One of the many you may want to check out .

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Rabbie Newbie

Rabbie

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[quote user="powerdesal"]Why exactly would you want to boycott Amazon, have they upset you in some way ?[/quote]Because they are seen as not paying their fair share of tax in the UK.

While I can sympathise with that view I don't see how downloading a free book boosts their profits so I will continue to do so

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AnOther Rookie

AnOther

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[quote user="Rabbie"]

[quote user="powerdesal"]Why exactly would you want to boycott Amazon, have they upset you in some way ?[/quote]Because they are seen as not paying their fair share of tax in the UK.[/quote]

Is that for real ?

It's the tax rules which stink not the people or companies taking advantage of them, don't tell me you wouldn't do the same if you could !

You don't need Amazon anyway, as Clair shows there are any number of sites where you can download literally thousands of ebooks for free.

Format is non issue as there are also any number of ways to convert form one to another, many online such as:

http://www.online-convert.com

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powerdesal Newbie

powerdesal

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[quote user="Rabbie"]

[quote user="powerdesal"]Why exactly would you want to boycott Amazon, have they upset you in some way ?[/quote]Because they are seen as not paying their fair share of tax in the UK.

While I can sympathise with that view I don't see how downloading a free book boosts their profits so I will continue to do so

[/quote]

As I understand the tax situation, Amazon et al are paying the tax required by the tax laws of UK. ''Fair Share'' does not come into the tax equation.

If the tax laws are wrong then that is the fault of those who make the law, not those who obey the law.

Who decides what a 'fair share' actually is ? The media, me, you ? No, it's decided by the UK Govt who make the laws that are then applied.

There is no 'moral imperative' for anyone, business or private individual, to pay any amount above that sum that the law demands, in fact I believe that there is no mechanism in place to allow such a higher amount to be paid, even if you want to pay it.
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Mr Ceour de Lion II Newbie

Mr Ceour de Lion II

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The people who complain about these companies not "paying their fair share" of tax would be the same people who then complain that the companies got rid of a load of staff because they have to pay a higher tax bill.

I'd far rather companies pay less tax as long as that money is being used to employ people, who would then pay tax. And less money would be wasted on the people who are unemployed too. To me that makes more sense than taxing companies at higher tax rates. But I guess that's socialism for you.

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AnOther Rookie

AnOther

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Such 'scandals' make great headlines for the gutter press and the false outrage of the politicians is just to make the public think that they care.

The tax system has become so unwieldy that these sort of loopholes are completely inevitable and nobody understands the rules sufficiently to ensure that in closing one they don't inadvertently open up another for the smart and single minded corporate accountants to find and exploit - and round and round it goes.

Bring on the flat tax I say.

It will never happen of course because it would at a stroke sweep away the smoke and mirrors the whole edifice is both founded and reliant on.

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Ivor Nidea Newbie

Ivor Nidea

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Mr CDL says

The people who complain about these companies not "paying their fair share" of tax would be the same people who then complain that the companies got rid of a load of staff because they have to pay a higher tax bill.

 

On the other side of the coin the ones who say these companies are simply paying tax according to the tax laws have, in the past, thrown their hands up in disgust at "rich" expats living it up in France and claiming winter fuel allowance.

This is not aimed at Mr CDL, just used as an illustration to point out double standards. If you have a memory like mine it's vital you keep singing the same tune and not to change them according to newspaper headlines.

Big companies and their tax affairs IMHO is another example of smoke and mirrors to effect a swerve away from the unfairness of tax changes.

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Mr Ceour de Lion II Newbie

Mr Ceour de Lion II

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[quote user="Ivor Nidea"]

Mr CDL says

The people who complain about these companies not "paying their fair share" of tax would be the same people who then complain that the companies got rid of a load of staff because they have to pay a higher tax bill.

 

On the other side of the coin the ones who say these companies are simply paying tax according to the tax laws have, in the past, thrown their hands up in disgust at "rich" expats living it up in France and claiming winter fuel allowance.

This is not aimed at Mr CDL, just used as an illustration to point out double standards. If you have a memory like mine it's vital you keep singing the same tune and not to change them according to newspaper headlines.

Big companies and their tax affairs IMHO is another example of smoke and mirrors to effect a swerve away from the unfairness of tax changes.

[/quote]

Just as well, because Mr CDL is proud to say he has never claimed any benefits whatsoever from any government :)

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Ivor Nidea Newbie

Ivor Nidea

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As I find posting anything on here really difficult I have to use shortcuts wherever I can to avoid spending ages on one post. So, again, it was just used as an illustration.

There is a programme on TV at the moment putting forward the notion that everybody should boycott Google because they pay very little corporation tax as it's morally wrong for Google to do so, even though they act within the tax laws.

I wonder how many of those that boycott Google (or any other big company) offer to pay more tax than the tax laws dictate.

Good on you CDL for not having to claim benefits of any kind, if ever you find yourself having to, you will be able to safe in the knowledge that you are only taking out what you have paid in.

 

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Clair Newbie

Clair

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[quote user="Clair"]... I subscribe to several lists for Amazon free books and I get daily updates in Google reader. It saves me from having to search for them myself.

If you decide to use them, do make sure the ebook you're interested in is free in your own Amazon country before downloading...[/quote]

Some of the books on offer may may be of interest only to those who share a particular passion with the author...

One the gems offered today is this one (put your tea/coffee down before reading the description... [Www])

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